Olivet College Changes Name

 Trustees of Olivet College in Olivet, MI approved a name change to The University of Olivet.

Olivet is affiliated with the United Church of Christ and was founded in 1844. The name was changed briefly to Olivet Institute in 1847 and back to Olivet College in 1859.

You can read more about Olivet's history or find links to the Hosford History Center & Lawrence Archives.

Finlandia University Announces Closure

Finlandia University announced this week that it will no longer enroll students for the next academic year and will close.

The institution was founded in 1896 by members of the Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Church and it is located in Hancock, Michigan. It was initially known as Suomi College and changed its name to Finlandia University in 2000.

Finlandia recently celebrated the 125th anniversary of its founding and you can read more in a College History Garden post, "Finlandia University Prepares for 125th Anniversary."

You can also read more on the closure in "‘Deeply saddened’: Community reacts to Finlandia’s closure" in The Daily Mining Gazette with reporting by Garrett Neese.

If you are interested in recent trends for closures, mergers, and acquisitions access College Closures since 2009 in the index at the right of any College History Garden page. There are separate tabs for non-profit closures, for-profit closures, and one for mergers and acquisitions. Each tab includes basic information for the institutions, i.e., Carnegie Classification, sector, accrediting agency, and the IPEDS unitid.

Finlandia University Prepares for 125th Anniversary

The Daily Mining Gazette of Houghton, MI posted "Finlandia plans 125th-anniversary celebration" on September 9, 2021 with reporting by Garrett Neese. 

The institution affiliated with the Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Church was founded as Suomi College in 1896 in Hancock, MI. The name was changed to Finlandia University in 2000.

You can visit the 125th Anniversary web pages for upcoming events, a timeline of key institutional dates, and other resources.

Learning from those who shaped the institution: Oral History of Monroe County Community College

Jerry Meade authored an interesting article highlighting an oral history project at Monroe County Community College in Monroe, MI. "Learning from successors’ legacies," describes an effort to preserve the thoughts and perspectives of key individuals impacting the institution.

MCCC was founded in 1964 and appears committed to preserving its history with James DeVries’ “Opportunity: The First Twenty Years, Monroe County Community College” covering 1964-1984 and Margie Bacarella’s “Change, Growth, Challenge, Monroe County Community College” documenting 1986-2000.

50th Anniversary for Mackinac College's Only Graduating Class

The Alpena News of Alpena, MI published an interesting article on May 18, 2020 by Jeffrey D. Brasie, "50th anniversary nears for sole Mackinac College graduating class." Mackinac College operated on Mackinac Island from 1966-1970 and Brasie provides many details about the institution and the campus in his article. Mackinac College operated as a a non-sectarian, co-educational 4-year liberal arts college.

A Mackinac College promotional video from 1966 is available on Youtube.

The property was acquired by Rex Humbard's Cathedral of Tomorrow and a nondenominational Bible college briefly operated from 1972-73.

Closure and Transition for Marygrove College Campus

This is a delayed post due to a bit of personal travel and the re-entry afterward as I wade through accumulated emails and news alerts... 

Marygrove College in Detroit announced in mid-June that it will be closing after the fall term in December 2019.

Marygrove was initially founded by the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary as Saint Mary Academy in 1845 in Monroe, Michigan. The name changed to Saint Mary College in 1905 and then to Marygrove College in 1927 after moving to Detroit.  Undergraduate programs were discontinued in 2018 and Marygrove became a graduate-only institution.

Nancy Kaffer reported for the Detroit Free Press in "Detroit's 92-year-old Marygrove College to close in December" on June 12, 2019.

Daniel Howes of Michigan Public Radio also provided interesting perspective in his coverage, "Despite closure, Marygrove is a success story" and explores the transition toward "...a preschool to graduate program vision led by Kresge and the Detroit Public Schools Community District."

You can read more on changes at Marygrove through a couple of Small College Garden posts:

• Two Detroit Publications Provide Excellent Reporting on Changes at Marygrove College
• Detroit's Cradle-to-College Initiative

If you are interested in recent trends for closures, mergers,and acquisitions access College Closures since 2009 in the index at the right of any College History Garden page. There are separate tabs for non-profit closures, for-profit closures, and one for mergers and acquisitions. Each tab includes basic information for the institutions, i.e., Carnegie Classification, sector, accrediting agency, and the IPEDS unitid.

Siena Heights University Prepares for Centennial

Siena Heights University in Adrian, MI is preparing to celebrate the 100th anniversary of its founding during the 2019-2020 academic year.  The 100th anniversary web page includes a video and links to scheduled events.  A centennial history book and video are planned.

The institution was originally founded as St. Joseph College by the Adrian Dominican Sisters in 1919.  The name was changed to Siena Heights College in 1939 and then to Siena Heights University in 1998.  It currently enrolls 2,464 students. 

You can learn more by visiting the institution's mission and history webpage.  Reflections, The Online Magazine for Alumni and Friends of Siena Heights University is also a good source for information and an archive of past issues is available. 

Kettering University Prepares for 100th Anniversary Celebrations

Kettering University in Flint, MI is preparing to celebrate the 100th anniversary of its founding in 1919.  The centennial web page includes details on a number of planned events and other related information.

Kettering was founded as The School of Automobile Trades.  The name then changed in 1923 to Flint Institute of Technology. General Motors assumed a financial role in 1926 and the name changed to General Motors Institute.  Independence was gained from GM after 1982 and the name changed to GMI Engineering & Management Institute.  Then in 1988 the name change to Kettering University.

Michigan Live published, "Kettering University plans community celebration for 100th anniversary," by Robert Acosta with an overview of centennial activities and a brief overview of the institution's history.  The article also includes an interesting embedded YouTube video, "Kettering University: The future of education built a century ago."

Olivet College Prepares for Terquasquicentennial in 2019

Olivet College in Olivet, Michigan is preparing for the 175th anniversary of its founding in 1844. The web page devoted to the terquasquicentennial includes links to a letter of welcome, a timeline, a short video, and other related resources.  A year-long celebration will begin on February 24, 2019.

You can also visit an "Our History" page for a brief historical sketch of the institution.

The Detroit Free Press also published "Michigan's 1st coed college, Olivet, founded in 1844" in 2015 on the eve of the college anniversary with reporting by Ziati Meyer.

New Name for Rochester College

Rochester College in Rochester Hills, Michigan is changing its name to become Rochester University.

The institution was founded as North Central Christian College in 1959. The name change to Michigan Christian Junior College in 1961 and to to Michigan Christian College in 1978. The name of Rochester College was then adopted in 1997.

You can read more about the change in "Rochester College changes its name," in Crain's Detroit Business with reporting by Kurt Nagl on October 13, 2018.

Henry Ford College Featured for 80th Anniversary of Founding

Craig Huchison of Michigan's Press & Guide provides an interesting historical sketch in "Henry Ford College celebrates 80 years and a rich legacy."  Huchison reports that the main campus of the college comprises 75 acres that used to be the deer park of Henry Ford’s Fair Lane Estate and the Ford home lies on a short path behind the campus.  The article is accompanied by a number of historical photographs.

The institution in Dearborn, MI was founded in 1928 as Fordson Junior College.  It closed briefly from 1943-1946 and reopened as Dearborn Junior College.  The name changed to Henry Ford Community College in 1952 and then to Henry Ford College after 2014.

A March 2014 College History Garden post, "Henry Ford Community College Considers Change in Name (MI),"  provides information on the last name change and links to other historical information.

Calvin College Announces a Name Change by 2020

Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan announced that it will change its name to Calvin University by 2020.  The institution, affiliated with the Christian Reformed Church, was founded in 1876 as a theological school. It became John Calvin Junior College in 1906 and changed its name to Calvin College and Seminary in 1908.

60th Anniversary for North Central Michigan College

North Central Michigan College in Petoskey, Michigan is celebrating the 60th anniversary of its founding in 1958.  You can visit the 60th anniversary web page for more information.  NCMC's main campus remains in Petoskey and it also now operates centers in Cheboygan and Gaylord.

The institution was initially known as Emmet Community College and adopted its present name in 1959.

WCMU public radio station offers a post, "A Petoskey Based College Celebrates its 60th Year," that includes a short audio clip highlighting the institution's mission and commitment over the years to the community it serves. 

An Acre of Students and other images from the Bowden Postcard Collection

Miami University Library Digital Archives posted a number of collections on Flicker with photographs and images that may be of interest. One, the Bowden Postcard Collection includes over 2,100 old postcards that include hospitals, factories, hotels, etc. Most of the images of colleges and universities are Ohio institutions like Ohio Northern University, Ohio University, Miami University, Mt. Union, and Baldwin-Wallice.  There are also a few that have closed or merged, including Oxford Women's College and Western College in Oxford, OH that merged with Miami University, and others from outside Ohio that include Amherst College, Adrian College, and St. Joseph's College (IN).

A Brief History of the founding of East Lansing and Michigan State University

The State News published "History of MSU: East Lansing grows up with its university," on June 29, 2016.  The article by Isaac Constans provides an interesting historical overview of the decision to locate a higher education institution, the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, near the capital of Lansing.  Constans traces the growth of the institution after it opened in 1857 and the city from their humble beginnings.  He also references Michigan Female College, founded in 1855.

Miller College in Battle Creek announces Closure

Safiya Merchant reported for the Battle Creek Enquirer yesterday that The Robert B. Miller College will close due to significant problems managing financial aid and other budgetary issues.  The institution, founded in 2005, is located on the campus of Kellogg Community College.  The institution received support from the Miller Foundation to provide easier access to baccalaureate programs in the community.  Miller was a non-profit and enrolled 276 students in the fall of 2014.

Michigan Colleges that have Closed, Merged, or Changed Names

This table below includes institutions that have closed, merged, or changed their names.  If you note a need for changing or updating information, please notify ray01brown@gmail.com or leave a comment below.

An index with links to separate pages for other states and countries is available.

There is a College History Garden Facebook group or you can view and follow multiple College History Garden boards on Pinterest or there is a board specifically devoted to Michigan colleges.

Thanks for your interest and suggestions!

Removing "Community" from Names of Colleges

Mary Beth Marklein focuses on the trend to drop "community" from college names in her June 4, 2014 article at USA Today.  Seattle Colleges and Henry Ford College are cited as examples.

Henry Ford Community College Considers Change in Name (MI)

Katie Hetrick reports for the Dearborn (MI) Press & Guide on March 18, 2014 that Henry Ford Community College is considering a change in name to Henry Ford College.  The institution was founded in 1938 as Fordson Junior College. In 1946, it became Dearborn Junior College and in 1952 merged with the Henry Ford Trade School to become Henry Ford Community College.

Ronnie Shreiber authored an interesting article on the Henry Ford Trade School and the General Motors Institute for the Hemmings Daily on May 29, 2013.

The Henry Ford Trade School Alumni Association is another source for historical information.

William Sprague and the Correspondence School of Law

Bernard Hibbitts authored a post on the Legal History Blog covering the fascinating career of William Sprague and his efforts to offer legal education through the Sprague Correspondence School of Law.